San Salvatore – Morcote
A scenic hike from San Salvatore to Morcote, 9.8km
Our 4th sunny day in Ticino!
Today’s program is to go on the famous landmark mountain San Salvatore.
Getting up there is easy, because there is a funicular railway to bring me up to 909m in 10 minutes. At the top, the funicular station was full of loud Swiss-German student groups with their teachers.
Unfortunately I had to share the top viewpoint with them, but luckily they left soon and I had the phenomenal 360-degree view to myself! The Lake Lugano, the town of Lugano in the north, Monte Generoso in the east, Monte Tamaro & Monte Lema (where my beloved husband is flying his toys) in the west where I was yesterday, and Monte Rosa far in the distance. Matterhorn is supposed to be seen, but it seemed to be hiding behind the clouds.
I was busy looking around every direction, checking the names of the mountains. After around one hour there and a picnic lunch on the bench, I started a rather surprisingly alpine downhill (300m) in the forest. Some hikers seemed unprepared for this and had difficulties.
The forest led me to the town of Carona and then a little higher up to the beautiful botanical garden, Parco San Grato. Considering how crowded it was at the top of San Salvatore, I was walking alone almost all the time, breathing the fresh forest air.
I walked the path next to some enormous private properties, completely forested and fenced. I wondered who owns such huge properties! This path was a series of serious downhill stairs and I remembered that a couple warned me about this yesterday….
Soon the beautiful Morcote village and the lake came into view. I had been here once and I remembered this village well.
Once in town I enjoyed a fresh ice-cream which smallest size was enormous, before getting to our AirBnB accommodation to shower. But once checking with the tourism office, they informed me that my final destination is one hour away – uphill – in the heat 😦
Fly, Hike & Travel. 